What is ONDC, How Does It Work | A Quick Guide

ONDC is a private non-profit organization based in India that was founded in April 2022. It is introduced by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIT). ONDC’s full form is Open Network for Digital Commerce.

ONDC has announced its first-ever network partner initiative called “Super Saver Sundays”. The event started on June 18, 2023, on the occasion of Father’s Day. Its aim is to bring exclusive offers and discounts to consumers. As of June 2023, ONDC services can only be used via the Paytm app. The service went live in early May. The network noted in a release that this time Magicpin, Paytm, and Phonepe have joined forces to create new discount opportunities for customers.

What is ONDC

It is a new initiative launched by the Government of India to encourage open networks for the exchange of goods and services. As a result, all marketplace buyers and sellers will have fair opportunities. This will also assist millions of small-scale retailers in expanding their operations.

How Does ONDC Work

The ONDC network is a UPI-style open platform designed to promote e-commerce in India. This will put a stop to Amazon and Walmart’s supremacy in the online market. Open Network for Digital Commerce will enable buyers and sellers to connect and trade online irrespective of the application they use. For example, if seller X is registered on platform A and a consumer is registered on platform B, the consumer can purchase seller X’s items straight from the Open Network for Digital Commerce network without having to register on platform A.

ONDC REGISTRATION

Benefits of Open Network for Digital Commerce

These are the salient features of ONDC that help your business grow,

• While making transactions, ONDC allows sellers and consumers to communicate and gather information using any application.
• It also enables merchants to save data for credit histories in order to contact consumers.
• Both buyers and sellers can use the ONDC portal for all transactions instead of the e-commerce portal.
• ONDC protocols also offer cataloging, inventory management, order management, and order fulfillment to manage the business effectively.

For Sellers

• They can access more buyers using the open network.
• Gives freedom to discover more products and compare the cost.
• Hassle-free digital transactions.
• New business costs are reduced.
• More value chain services, such as logistics and fulfillment.

For Buyers

• Have enough options to find more sellers.
• Better service and faster delivery are the outcomes of hyper-local merchants.
• Good customer experience.

ONDC CEO

Thampy Koshy (T Koshy) serves as a Senior Advisor at ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) council.

Operations in India

It has already tested its operations in five cities on April 29, 2022: Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Shillong, and Coimbatore. The activities are carefully focused on retail shops and restaurants in order to recognize transactions in real time. It may soon be tested in travel and mobility services. Open Network for Digital Commerce also intends to expand its operations to 100 Indian cities by October 2022.

Over 24 companies, including Dunzo, Paytm, Meesho, Gofrugal, GrowthFalcons, and Flipkart, are now in the final stages of integrating their services with this network. Google recently showed interest in joining the ONDC network in order to expand its search and payments operations in India.

ONDC Share Price

According to sources, public and private sector banks have already approached Open Network for Digital Commerce about buying major stakes. ICICI Bank recently announced that it has purchased 10,00,000 equity shares in O N D C for Rs. 100 apiece. Following the acquisition, ICICI Bank will own 5.97 percent of Open Network for Digital Commerce. Over 20 reputable organizations had invested INR 255 crore ($33 million USD) in Open Network for Digital Commerce as of April 2022.

ONDC Registration

It is currently focused to expand the agriculture sector and speed up e-commerce for the benefit of all stakeholders in the value chain. Hence, it invites leading players in agritech and agribusiness to join the Agri Bootcamp. It will be hosted on 26 & 27 May 2022 in Bengaluru. For more details and to participate in that event, fill out the form below.

ONDC REGISTRATION FORM

Conclusion

The main aim of ONDC is to democratize and decentralize e-commerce in the Indian market. It is a new revolution to end the monopolies of US-based companies. With this platform, consumers and merchants can trade for products and services instead of a central platform or application. This ensures data privacy and confidentiality. You can also check the ONDC website ondc.org for more details.